PCI 'exploring' 100,000-square-foot MedQuarter facility

Medical group also has proposed a 500-car parking structure

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A rendering of the proposed new medical facility by Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa. (BBL Medical Facilities/PCI)

The MedQuarter Regional Medical District including St. Luke’s Hospital, Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa Medical Pavilion, and Mercy Medical Center in an aerial photograph in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday, May 14, 2014. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette)

The medical group announced Wednesday that it has “exploratory plans to construct a new 100,000-square-foot” facility with a parking structure that could hold 500 cars.

“These new facilities are necessary to accommodate PCI’s continuing growth and to attract other non-PCI health care-related services,” David Hart, PCI’s president and medical director, said in a statement.

The new facility would be located between Second and Third Avenues SE, south and west of Firestone Tower, PCI said. The parking structure would be located along Third Avenue SE, south of the PCI Medical Pavilion.

Hart said PCI’s vision is for the new building to “have a wellness theme,” potentially featuring medical specialties in executive health, men’s and women’s focused wellness, and a sports performance center.

A timeline or cost for the project was not provided. Hart and PCI CEO Michael Sundall were unavailable for comment Thursday.

Phil Wasta, executive director of the MedQuarter, said the expansion is a good sign for the district and the company.

“It proves out what PCI is doing and their business model and what the MedQuarter is doing to continue to brand ourselves and become a regional medical destination,” he said.

In its statement, PCI said both health care and non-health care businesses would be able to lease space in the new building. Wasta said that fits with the vision of attracting more medical providers to the district and businesses that can serve the area. The MedQuarter recently announced a program to provide loans to attract new business.

City spokeswoman Emily Muhlbach said PCI’s expansion would qualify for the city’s standard incentive, a 10-year, 50-percent reimbursement of the increased property taxes generated by the project.

“We will continue to work with PCI and anticipate receiving a formal application when building plans and cost estimates have been refined,” she said in an email.

The medical group built its current home, the PCI Medical Pavilion, at Second Avenue and 10th Street SE. The 221,000-square-foot project finished in 2013 and cost around $47 million. The Medical Pavilion has 110 medical providers and 400 support staff members, PCI said in Wednesday’s statement.

The city of Cedar Rapids provided $13 million in incentives for that project.

Mayor Ron Corbett said PCI has “exceeded every one of their goals” since signing an agreement with the city for the Medical Pavilion, a deal that also required the closure of Second Avenue, which he noted was “controversial at the time.”

“They’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do,” Corbett said. “For them to make an investment like this, especially in turbulent health care times, is a sign the council made the right choice years ago.”